Feedback Wanted: Dependency Discovery Deck – A Gamified Approach to Managing Dependencies in Agile Teams
Hi Scrum Community,
I've developed the Dependency Discovery Deck to help Agile teams uncover and address dependencies in multi-team environments. You can download it for free here: Dependency-Discovery-Deck GitHub Repository.
Why I Created This Deck?
I noticed that some teams focused solely on developing Backlog Items but struggled to get their increments to production. Non-software tasks - like securing approvals from the workers' council or requesting test data early - were often overlooked, causing delays. To tackle this, I created this deck to help teams systematically identify and address such dependencies before they become blockers.
How I used it?
- Pair Up – During refinement, the Scrum Team splits into pairs, each receiving a set of cards.
- Filter Quickly – In a 3–5 minute timebox, pairs remove any cards representing dependencies that don’t apply to them.
- Cluster & Discuss – The remaining cards are clustered and discussed to uncover potential blockers or missing preparation steps.
My observation: In just a few minutes, teams surface dependencies that could slow them down or identify why a Product Backlog Item isn't yet ready for development.
See here all Dependency Cards from a Miro Template Screenshot:
Would love to hear your thoughts:
- What do you think about solving the challenge with a card game?
- What other types of dependencies should be included in the deck?
Looking forward to your feedback!
Here is the free template for the Miroverse as well
Thank you.
Nils
I think it's helpful.
There is a danger, however, of organizations assuming that dependencies have now been dealt with because the card game was played.
I wonder what might be done to reinforce the penalty (e.g. technical debt) that would arise from ignoring the dependencies exposed.